Lighters

ABSTRACT

A lighter with a gas burner which comprises a plurality of individual burner orifices, disposed at the corners of an imaginary closed figure, each surrounded by an individual windshield, or a single orifice over which is disposed a windshield of cruciform shape so that the issuing gas stream divides into four parts to give four flames each within the angle defined by two adjacent arms of the windshield. Thus at least one of the flames is masked from the direct effect of strong air currents in one direction.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,867,091 Malamoud Feb. 18, 1975 [54] LIGHTERS 661,222 4/1963 Canada 431/291 [76] Inventor: Jean Gaston Malamoud, 61, Avenue de Novel, 74000 Annecy, France Primary Examiner-Carroll B. Dorlty, Jr. [22] Filed: Jan. 4, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 430,611

Related US. Application Data 57 ABSTRACT [62] Division of Ser. No, 291,830, Sept. 25, 1972 Pat.

A lighter with a gas burner which comprises a plurality [30] Foreign Application Priority Data of individual burner orifices, disposed at the corners Sept. 13, 1971 France 71.32944 Of an imaginary Closed figure eaCh Surrounded y an individual windshield, or a single orifice over which is 52 us. c1 431/350, 239/288, 239/601 disposed a windshield Of cruciform Shape S9 that the 51 Int. Cl. F23d 13/24 issuing gas Stream divides into four parts to g four 58 Field 6: Search 431/151, 344, 350; flames each Within the angle defined y two adjacent 239 2 3 23 3 2335 0 arms of the windshield. Thus at least one of the flames is masked from the direct effect of strong air currents [56] References Cited in one direction- FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 734,927 10/1943 Germany 239/601 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 1 LIGHTERS CROSS-RELATED APPLICATION This Application is a division of Application Ser. No. 291,830 filed Sept. 25, 1972, now US. Pat. No. 3,807,941, and claims the priority of the Application filed in France on Sept. 13, I971.

The present invention relates to improvements in lighters and more particularly to means intended to protect and stabilize the flame of a compressed gas lighter.

The most conventional means for protecting the flame of a lighter, is to provide the latter with a windshield. However, known Windshields are always more or less orientated and the protection ensured thereby depends therefore more or less on the orientation of the lighter with respect to the air currents to which the latter is subjected.

This is why it is proposed to stabilize the flame of a lighter by making the burner in the form of a hollow member which has a surrounding and porous peripheral wall so as to obtain a large number of very fine jets of gas. Therefore, whatever the direction of the air current to which the flame is subjected, theoretically there will always be a certain number ofjets of gas which are not subjected thereto. However, since the gas pressure is relatively low in a lighter, it is only possible to supply all the passages of the porous wall constituting the burner to the extent that these passages rigorously cause the same pressure losses. In practice, this is not the case, especially after a certain usage which causes the pores to clog due to residues from combustion and possibly due to the dust from the flint in the case of lighting by means of knurled wheel and flint.

It has also been proposed to discharge the gas through two or more passages so as to be able to obtain, depending on requirements, one or more flames from the same nozzle. But even when there are several flames, each flame is ultimately sensitive to the air currents as one single flame.

An object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by providing the combination of a burner comprising several gas outlets and a multiple windshield protecting each outlet and disposed such that the gas is mixed with the combustive air as soon as it leaves the burner.

An important feature is that the multiple windshield is made in a single piece.

Another feature is that the multiple windshield is used to define the various gas outlets from a single aperture in the burner.

Further features will be apparent from the ensuing description of various embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawing, given by way of non-limiting example. In the drawing:

FIGS. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1 being a plan view and FIG. 2 a view on line II II of FIG. 1,

FIGS. 3 and 4 show another embodiment, FIG. 3 being a plan view in partial section and FIG. 4 a view on line IV IV of FIG. 3, and

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a third embodiment of the invention, FIG. 5 being a plan view and FIG. 6 being a view on line VI VI of FIG. 5,

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the burner (l) is provided with three gas outlet apertures (2), (3) and (4) and three ring shapes slots (5), (6-) and (7'). These slots receive three Windshields (8), (9) and (10), each of which protects one of the gas outlets in a different direction, so as to protect at least one flame from any lateral air current whatever the orientation of the lighter.

The mixing of the gas and combustion air takes place as soon as the gas leaves the burner through passages which have been left free between the outer periphery of the burner and the inner wall of each windshield. In this way, the flame begins at the very outlet of the burner.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, the burner (ll) comprises a single gas outlet aperture (12) in which is secured a windshield (13) in the form of a cross, the four partitions of which engage in four grooves (l4), (l5), (l6) and (17) provided in the burner (11). The windshield 13) comprises, besides the four radial partitions, a solid upper portion (18) extending perpendicular to the axis of the burner.

The windshield (13) has two functions: on the one hand, it divides the aperture (12) of the burner into four small apertures, each of which constitutes a gas outlet and, on the other hand, by means of the four radial partitions and the solid upper portion (18), it protects the four flames leaving the burner, each flame being protected in a different direction.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, the burner (15) also comprises a single gas outlet aperture (19) in which a multiple cross-shaped windshield (20) is secured, the four ends of which are fitted in four recesses provided in the burner and which shield, as in the case the FIGS. 3 and 4 has two functions, namely to divide the aperture (19) into four small apertures and to protect, in a different direction, each flame coming from each of these small apertures.

Naturally, without diverging from the spirit of the invention, modification of constructional details or their arrangement may be made with a view to obtaining the same result.

For example, it would be possible merely to forceflt the multiple windshield in the outlet aperture of the burner or screw it therein.

What is claimed is:

l. A gas lighter comprising a burner having a head with a single gas outlet, and a windshield mounted on said head and including radial partitions dividing the gas outlet into individual segments and a cover on said partitions extending perpendicular thereto at the top thereof.

2. A gas lighter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said head has slots in which said partitions are received, said partitions extending radially beyond the peripheral extent of the gas outlet. 

1. A gas lighter comprising a burner having a head with a single gas outlet, and a windshield mounted on said head and including radial partitions dividing the gas outlet into individual segments and a cover on said partitions extending perpendicular thereto at the top thereof.
 2. A gas lighter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said head has slots in which said partitions are received, said partitions extending radially beyond the peripheral extent of the gas outlet. 